A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable
and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's secret identity.

rate this answer

Saturday - December 15, 2007

QUESTION:

I am working on a project for my HOA in order to reduce mowing costs and to beautify our neighborhood. We were wondering if you could help us find people knowledgeable about dry bottom detention ponds and grasses that could be used that were slow growing, required little fertilizer but could have a strong enough root structure to maintain the slopes of a detention pond(s). We are located in Pearland, TX

ANSWER:

Please see our National Suppliers Directory for information about Landscape Professionals and Environmental Consultants in your area who might be knowledgeable about dry bottom detention ponds.

Grasses are excellent plants for stabilizing slopes because of their extensive fibrous root systems and native grasses require no, or very little, fertilizer. If the detention pond is in a primarily sunny area, then an excellent choice for a grass is Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss) since it grows slowly and doesn't require frequent mowing. However, it will not deal well with standing water which may happen with your detention pond. You would probably be better off with plants that are appropriate to a raingarden situation—plants that tolerate standing in water but can also thrive when the water dries up completely. Sedges (such as Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge), Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge) or Carex texensis (Texas sedge)) are grasslike, don't grow too tall, and can withstand both wet and dry situations.

You might also consider ornamental grasses that are pleasing to look at without needing to be mowed, for instance:

More Grasses or Grass-like Questions

Replacing grass on steep hill in GeorgiaJune 16, 2009 - I live near Atlanta, Georgia. My yard is a steep hill, which makes mowing VERY challenging. If possible, I would like to remove the grass and plant something hardy that does not require mowing. What p...view the full question and answer

Prairie and wetland restoration in NebraskaJuly 20, 2007 - We recently bought property south of Crawford,NE near the Pine Ridge area. It has been grazed by horses for years. We'd like to restore the native grasses and flowers. I have no idea where to begi...view the full question and answer

Problems with Habiturf in AustinMay 10, 2014 - I have been trying to establish a Habiturf lawn in my back yard. It is approximately a 1,000 square foot area and this last seeding was the third over about one and a half years. I just recently over ...view the full question and answer

Eliminating crabgrass in Middletown MOSeptember 28, 2009 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I am having trouble with my lawn, specifically with the crabgrass in it. It now covers over 1/3 of it. I started using corn gluten meal this year, with limited tangible succ...view the full question and answer

Native turf grass for acreage in Denison TXJanuary 27, 2014 - I have recently moved to Denison TX where we have 5+ acres of true crosstimbers land. I am looking for a native turf grass that will do well in sandy soil and with the water provided by nature. The m...view the full question and answer